We can reveal that at the 37th International Magic Convention in London, Famous ‘Mystifier’ Uri Geller was awarded the Berglas Foundation – Services to Magic Award, by it’s Chairman, highly acclaimed International Man of Mystery David Berglas MIMC.

We were there to cover the event that was only made public a few moments before Geller arrived at the venue, having flown in especially for the event from Germany.

The presentation was followed by an exclusive interview and question and answer session to those present.

Uri spoke surprisingly openly about his career, his views, the award itself, and his current projects.

When asked about his career, Uri was very open about if he’s be able to start his career in todays age:

If I was to start my career now, my career would be destroyed, the speed of the internet, the technology allowing events to be reported, I’d not be able to start my career in the way I did those years ago.

On the actual award he jokingly commented that he was “Expecting a metal one’. The award itself was for ‘Services to Magic’ which was always going to be a hot potato, the question came from those present, “are you a magician?:

I thrive on controversy, looking back on my career, I called myself a physic, I constantly need to re-invent myself, you will not get a straight answer. I have to protect the performers in my show, I owe it to them, I don’t want to know how they do it, I just want to see the most mind blowing show there is. Lets say I wasn’t real, lets say for the last years I’ve fooled the journalists, the scientists, my family, my friends.. You.. If I managed to fool them, I must be the greatest..?

Gellar talked about this youth, how he found at age 5, he was struck by a ball of light, and gained ‘something’.

I have seen things in my life that I cannot understand or explain, I cannot bend spoons like some of the magicians, you, can, it blows my mind when I see that, I have no idea. I had the idea and cheekiness to call it physic, in fact all I wanted was to be rich and famous, I wanted to buy my mother a TV

He commented on his appearance on the Johny Carson show:

Randi set up that show, I sat there with him for 22 minutes, nothing happened, I thought “Uri Gellar you are finished” I went back to my hotel and packed my stuff to return home, I fell asleep and the next day, everyone was interested in me. There is no such thing as bad publicity, as long as they spell your name right! Don’t read what they write, measure it

He spoke on religion, and on if he thought he was gifted:

I don’t think I am gifted, I think all of your are gifted, you must have encountered things that you couldn’t understand, I never made money form bending spoons, I made money from finding oil and gold, I don’t know how I did that, maybe it was luck. It’s an honor to get this award, it comes from a legend, David Berglas, it will be controversial, some of you will write on your blogs or whatever.. its lovely to sit in front of you all.

He also talked about the next Uri Gellar show talking about the contestants he said, “Hayashi has the same sort of charisma as Barack Obama” and continued:

I’ve never read a magic book, but I’ve just bought one here..

The book ? Thirteen Steps To Mentalism.

Thanks to Matt Buckland who passed us this video of some of the interview